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PlayStation 4 FAQ

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Find out how to bring the next generation of gaming closer with this useful mini-guide to the PS4 system and Friends list.

Sharing your "primary" PlayStation 4 system at home

Sharing games you purchase from PlayStation Store

Games you download can be played by users who share your PS4 system, such as your family and friends. You do not have to log in to the system for other users to play these games.

Sharing benefits from PlayStation Plus

If you join PlayStation Plus, membership benefits such as online multiplayer features can be enjoyed by users who share your PS4 system. You do not have to log in to the system for other users to enjoy these benefits.

Playing on other PS4 systems when you are not at home

Playing games you purchase from PlayStation Store

Games you purchase can be downloaded and played on any PS4 system if you sign in to PlayStation Network. There is no limit on the number of systems you can use.* Only you can start games that you download.

Enjoying benefits from PlayStation Plus

If you join PlayStation Plus, you can sign in to PSN from any PS4 system and enjoy your membership benefits.

*You can use up to two systems concurrently: the system activated as your "primary" PS4 system, and one other system.

Playing games on Blu-ray Discs

You can share Blu-ray Disc games with your friends and play used Blu-ray Disc games on your PS4 system just like you can on a PS3 system. You do not have to connect to the Internet or pay any usage fees to play used games.

Why should I activate my system as my primary PS4 system?

You can activate one PS4 system per account as your primary PS4 system. When you activate your system, the following features become available:

Anyone who uses your PS4 system can enjoy games and applications you purchase from PlayStation Store.

Anyone who uses your PS4 system can enjoy numerous benefits if you join PlayStation Plus.

You can purchase or pre-order content via the PlayStation App and have the content automatically downloaded to your PS4 system.

You can connect to the PS4 system from a PlayStation Vita system via the Internet using Remote Play.

You can deactivate a PS4 system only via that same system. If you want to activate a different system that is not at your home as your primary PS4 system, you must deactivate the current primary system first. Also deactivate your PS4 system if you plan to transfer or dispose of it.

How your Friends list is displayed

Coinciding with the release of PS4, you will be able to become friends with up to 2,000 people on PSN. You can view your Friends list on any device you have signed in to with your PSN account. The number of players displayed varies for each device:

PS4: All of your friends can be displayed.

PS3: A maximum of 100 players can be displayed.

PS Vita: All of your friends can be displayed. Support for the ability to display all of your friends in most applications and games is planned. However, some titles will be limited to the current 100 friends.

Smartphone or other devices with PlayStation App installed: All of your friends can be displayed.

Which 100 players are displayed?

1. If you have sent or received Friend requests that haven't been approved yet, up to 10 of the most recent recipients and 10 of the most recent senders are displayed.

2. Your friends are displayed:

If the sum of players from point (1) and your currently online friends is more than 100, your currently online friends are displayed by online ID in alphabetical order until the limit of 100 players is reached.

If the sum of players from point (1) and your currently online friends is less than 100, your currently offline friends are also displayed by online ID in alphabetical order until the limit of 100 players is reached.

3. If the sum of players from point (1) and all of your friends from point (2) is less than 100, any remaining recipients of your Friend requests are displayed, followed by any remaining players who sent Friend requests to you, until the limit of 100 players is reached.

You must sign out of PSN and then sign in again to update the players who are displayed. When doing this, also sign out of all other devices that you are signed in to PSN on.